Penticton

Drowning victim identified

The young man who drowned in the Similkameen River this past weekend has now been identified as 23-year-old Scott Fechner.

Princeton RCMP Sgt. Barry Kennedy says Fechner was camping near the river with friends, when he took off from the campsite Friday night.

Friends and family told police that he had a habit of walking off alone, so no one at the campsite felt the need to involve police until late Sunday afternoon.

To add to the concern, Kennedy says Fechner did not return to work on Monday so his friends started to walk along the waters edge looking for him. They located one of this shoes and a hat along the river bank.

“We called in the RCMP helicopter from Kamloops to search the river and located him on a sand bar approximately 11 kilometres east of Princeton in the Similkameen River,” says Kennedy. “We are not sure whether he fell into the river or he attempted to cross the river on the Friday night.”

At this point RCMP say that all indications are Fechner drowned and foul play is not suspected. The BC Coroner is now handling the file and will conduct an autopsy.

“The Similkameen River is moving very fast and has heavy water flow,” says Kennedy. “He was located four kilometres from where he went into the water.”

Princeton RCMP are now warning campers and outdoor enthusiasts to stay out of the water and be careful along the shore.

Photo: Contributed - Google street view

The Similkameen River in Princeton

ORIGINAL:
The body of a Princeton man, missing since Saturday, has been pulled from the Similkameen River.

Searchers from the Princeton Ground Search and Rescue team located the man's body Monday evening.

The 23-year-old man was apparently camping with friends over the weekend when he wandered away.

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